Maggie Tarling, one of our long term students asked a very interesting question
When shouldn’t you practise Qigong (Chi Kung)?
The first thing that should be understood is that there are many forms of Qigong – and I am talking about thousands of forms. Most are gentle and safe if practised correctly, some need to be learned from an expert who will keep a close eye on your practise and progress. Generally speaking, most forms of Qigong are safe if you stick to the rules. However, there are general guidelines about and when you should not practise Qigong.
Do Not Practise Qigong when you are having a Period
It would seem logical not to practise during this time and let your body do what it needs to do, without interfering. Qigong will inject energy into your system which might interfere with what the body is trying to do, which is to maintain balance. Remember, Traditional Chinese Medicine sees illness as a state of imbalance. The menstrual period is your body’s way of rebalancing your body.
Do Not Practise if you a History of Mental Illness
This is a coverall caveat, in that you never know how someone will react to having their system flooded with energy, if they are already having problems. In China a few forms of Qigong were banned because a handful of people, who had mental problems, or potential issues, had disturbing reactions to the exercise. Fundamentally there was nothing wrong with the Qigongs for 99.99% of the population, just people who could not cope with the complete release of tension and control these forms created.
Do Not Practise Qigong when you Have an Infection
The normal reaction to hearing that causes most people to say, but surely the health giving Qigong will make you better? No – again the body knows how to deal with an infection and does what it needs to, to make you better, just as human beings immune systems have been for the last couple of million years. The immune system kicks into action when you have an infection, it knows what to do. If you start bringing in more energy while it is going through this process it could hold back your recovery. It is far better to do Qigong every day to stop illness happening, rather than trying to cure it when its already happened.
Qigong and Pregnancy – Do you or don’t you?
The juries out on this one, some say yes others say no. Ultimately I would err on the side of caution and say go and see your health care professional before embarking on Qigong while you are pregnant.
